Arsenal were so keen to hide Martin Odegaard’s recent injury that they even altered their own team photo.
The Norwegian playmaker has recently returned from the ankle injury that he picked up during the September international break. Odegaard made a substitute appearance against Inter Milan before returning to the starting line-up.
The Arsenal captain had previously missed two-and-a-half months of action for the Gunners. And it appears that club chiefs and Arteta were very keen to keep the true extent of his injury firmly under wraps.
The Arsenal boss did not totally rule the midfielder out when his players returned from the international break despite the midfielder being in a protective boot and on crutches. Speaking shortly before his side’s clash with Tottenham, he said: “Players with 48 hours to go are always available, but let’s see what happens.”
And Arsenal’s attempts to keep Odegaard’s issue under wraps even extended to their official team photo. According to The Athletic, the Gunners placed a ball in front of Odegaard in the hope to obscure his clearly swollen ankle from the cameras.
Odegaard will certainly hope to be fit for Arsenal ahead of this weekend’s game against Nottingham Forest. He was initially named in Norway’s squad for the international break but pulled out of the squad in an effort to build up his fitness.
Explaining the decision, Odegaard said: “I got through the match at the weekend [vs Chelsea ], but it was a rather abrupt transition from the last nine weeks. In this kind of process, you don’t just go from being injured to suddenly being completely healthy.
“You tend to have a reaction to what happens, and then it’s about how you react to it. Together with the NFF’s medical team, we’ve looked at it and agreed that it’s better for me to go back and make a full recovery.
“We have had an open and nice discussion. I have been talking to Ståle ever since I was injured, and of course more intensively in recent weeks. This is not about what Arsenal has said, or what Ståle has said. It’s about what my situation is.
“Yes [it’s my choice], but in consultation with the medical team here [in Norway]. This is something we agree on, but ultimately it is me who has made the choice based on what I know the body needs.”
While Odegaard looks set to be fit, Arteta does have one fresh concern. Belgian winger Leandro Trossard was withdrawn in the first-half during his nation’s clash with Israel.
